Here at Sense of Home we love cookies and this recipe is particularly good, think oatmeal raisin cookie meets chewy granola bar. These cookies are as healthy as any purchased granola bar, likely healthier, so they make a good midday snack. Keeping home baked goodies on hand is important to me, it prevents us from buying junk food at the store or from the vending machine at work.
Any dried fruit or nut would work in these cookies, I dehydrated several kinds of fruits this summer and am thinking of putting dried cherries rather than the raisins in the next batch. I like the addition of coconut, but if you don't, leave it out. Sunflower or pumpkin seeds would also be good in place of the nuts. Just keep the nut and fruit measurements the same.
I make cookies small so that I can eat two, it is a psychological thing, one cookie doesn't seem like enough. Remember though, they are still full of sugar so small doses are best. I always put my cookies in the freezer and we take them from there, it keeps them soft and fresh. My husband puts a couple in his lunch in the morning and they thaw well before he is ready to eat them.
Oatmeal Fruit Cookies
Makes about 3 dozen
1 cup (2 sticks) butter
1 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1/2 cup honey
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 cups rolled oats
1 cup raisins
1 cup dates, pitted and chopped
1 cup chopped pecans
1 cup shredded coconut
Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Cream butter with brown sugar and honey in a large mixing bowl until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs and vanilla. Sift flour, soda and salt into egg mixture and stir well. Add remaining ingredients and blend thoroughly.
Drop walnut-size balls onto baking sheet and bake for approximately 12 minutes. Cool on rack and store in airtight container. If not using within a few days, freeze to keep them fresh.
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